K'din Bronze Meertanth's Rider
by katmom
Summary: A young man is Searched, to be taken to the Weyr in the hopes of impressing a dragon. A short story based on Pern and a blog of AU Pern.
1. Impressing Meertanth

**K'din**…impressed at 15…he's now 24…brown hair, a little on the long side. Brown eyes…KIND…not the usual arrogant bronze rider. He KNOWS he's capable, he just doesn't need to flaunt it. He's pretty empathetic. He knew when runners were hurt…rather like his green firelizard. He came from a beast hold and Impressed Meertanth at Western Weyr during the 5th pass of the Red Star.

**Meertanth**…bronze, also very capable and strong. He's now nine. He has never flown a queen before.

**Bithia**…green firelizard

Just a short story, based on the Dragon Riders of Pern AND a blog devoted to writing **AU Dragon Rider Stories**

**In the blog, yes, women can...and do...impress blues...**

That wonderful world belongs to Anne McCaffrey...I wanted my own Bronze Rider

This is a look back at K'din's impression...

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**K'din...Bronze Meertanth's Rider**

**How it all began...**

Kaydin ran his hand down the runner's leg. She shivered when he touched her ankle and he found the small thorn imbedded under the hair there. With deft fingers he pulled it out and rubbed over the area. A relieved whoosh of air left her lungs and flowed over his head, ruffling his long brown hair.

He stood and addressed her. "Better, sweetling?" He knew she wouldn't really answer him but he did feel her relief flowing from her. A soft chirrup answered for her.

"So, Bithia, you agree, she's better now?" The dainty green firelizard trilled an affirmative from where she sat on the sturdy creature's back and flew to the padded shoulder of his vest. She rubbed her head against his cheek.

Kaydin glanced back over his shoulder. The rest of the herd was moving along behind his brothers where they walked at the head of the long line of beasts. No one was riding as these were all yearlings being brought down from the high pastures for the first time.

At fifteen he always got to bring up the rear on these excursions. Martouf and Dramon always led the way. They weren't fond of breathing the dust that was stirred up by runner feet. Besides, if something happened to any of the runners, Kaydin was usually able to take care of them. He didn't mind being in the back anyway; it gave him time to think and to enjoy some solitude.

Being alone was hard in a hold where there were so many people. His father had finally decided to expand on the cots that they lived in as his new wife had just borne him a set of twin girls, to go along with his three younger brothers. Both of his older brothers had wives and children. Yes, it was crowded at home and solitude was a nice thing occasionally.

Just as they rounded the last bend before the hold, Bithia looked up into the sky and chirped. It was a happy sound, so he wasn't worried that thread was falling out of order. Before he could get more than an impression of happiness and awe from her, she flew into the sky, joined quickly by the gold and bronze firelizards of his brothers.

A second later the sky was dominated by a blue dragon and his rider. Kaydin's eyes widened at the thrill of seeing him on wing. Dragons were a common enough sight, but it never ceased to amaze him. This one was hovering, giving them time to move the runners into a pen. The herd's unease was clear to him as they eyed the dark blue creature. The rider was kind enough to stay far enough away that the scent of the dragon didn't wash over the herd.

When the gate was firmly closed behind the last one, Kaydin joined his family to wait on the Rider as he dismounted from his dragon. The blue was looking over the people gathered and for a long moment held Kaydin's eyes with his own, and then swept on.

"Holder Seneca, I'm B'ran and I'm on Search. There are eggs on the sands at Western and Bralth says that you have someone suitable." A gasp from many of those gathered met his words.

"Rider B'ran, it is our pleasure to allow you to Search here. Please, who do you honor?" Holder Seneca asked.

Kaydin noticed that Bralth, his blue eyes swirling, was again looking at him and he felt a shiver of anticipation go down his back.

"You, young man, what's your name?" Kaydin looked over his shoulder to make sure that it was he that the Rider was addressing before he stepped forward. Bithia was circling over his head in an aerial dance of joy.

"I'm Kaydin, Rider." That was all that he could manage to say from a suddenly dry mouth.

"Holder, would you allow Kaydin to stand on the sands?"

With a nod from his father's head, Kaydin's life changed in a huge way for the first time. It seemed to take no time to fill a carisack with his clothes and to say his goodbyes. The Rider said that more could be sent for later.

"We'll send for you when Hatching is imminent," B'ran told his parents. They agreed to be ready in about a seven day.

Kaydin's younger siblings were looking at him with awe on their faces. His father was full of pride as he grasped his shoulders and there was a small tear on the face of his father's wife. But she smiled, full of pride in him too.

The Rider mounted and held a hand for Kaydin to join him on the back of the dragon. A deep breath and a small climb later and he was situated behind B'ran.

"Settle your green on your shoulder and tell her to hang on. I'll warn you both before we go between." Kaydin took in another deep breath and suddenly they were airborne and he was watching the Hold that he had been raised in falling away below them.

A smile filled his face and his soul before they winked between.

**~!~!~!~**

The following week was filled with Candidate classes and enough information to make Kaydin's head spin. There was also lots of bagging of firestone for his first threadfall at the Weyr. That was a sight, watching the dragons far overhead flaming and diving. He'd never been outside to see it before and it was thrilling. The thought that he might, at some point, be one of those who guarded Pern filled him with awe.

His second day at the Weyr had found him washing a dragon, a sweet green by the name of Brenith. She had been grateful when he found and took care of a hideous itch on her shoulder.

**Thank you**

Her voice in his head was something that he would treasure.

Kaydin fell into bed in the Candidate barracks each night physically exhausted, but his mind would be running over everything that he had learned. Bithia would rest in the curve of his neck, sending him soothing emotions and brief flashes of her day. Many of those memories were of the eggs that hardened on the sands. She was enthralled by them too.

The Candidates had been allowed to wander amongst them earlier in the afternoon. The Queen had watched them carefully as they gently touched the twenty-six eggs. He hadn't gone near the glistening gold egg. That one was surrounded by four young women.

One egg had stood out to Kaydin. It had a mottled design that reminded him of a runner's head, a runner with its ears perked forward. He had felt the anticipation from the eggs. Nothing substantive, of course, but certainly an eagerness to be free of their shells. There was also hunger; he knew that feeling from being so closely bound with Bithia.

Kaydin didn't know what it would take to draw a dragon to him; no one could say exactly what it was that dragons looked for. As he fell asleep before what everyone expected to be the Hatching day, he just hoped that one of the dragons would find him worthy.

**~!~!~!~**

Just after dawn Kaydin awoke to find Bithia sitting in the middle of his chest. She was crooning a welcoming song. Just as he realized that the eggs must be starting to hatch, the door to the barracks was flung open and the Candidate Master was standing there. He flipped the glow basket in his hand open and looked at each of the people in the room.

"Well, are you all going to get up, dress and come to the sands? This IS what you've been waiting for!" A moment of silence met his words before chaos ensued.

Kaydin stripped off his tunic and reached for the white Candidate robe that Bithia was holding in her talons as she hovered over his cot. The hum was now reverberating through the very walls of the room.

The Candidate Master had the thirty-two Candidates line up before the barracks. Overhead, dragons flew into the opening of the hatching grounds, many of them with two, three and even four passengers aboard. Kaydin wondered if his father was one of them and who he would have brought with him.

The humming was becoming more intense as the Candidate Master had them continue waiting. He quickly covered the rules again.

_Never try and force an impression._

_Don't touch a hatchling unless you are making impression, or setting the hatchling to rights (he/she hatched on their backs) and if that is the case, set them up and then step back._

_Keep your eyes open and keep out of the way of a hatchling that is not yours. Their talons are sharp and they are a little unstable on their feet._

With a good luck and follow me, he led them into the archway and urged them to find a place on the hot sands.

Kaydin looked up at the tiers of people and dragons waiting. With a thought he sent Bithia to a ledge where many of the Weyr's firelizards waited. He had been told that the Queen didn't want any of them actually on the sands. He and three others had lizards that looked to them.

A gasp from those in attendance focused his eyes back on the eggs. One of them had rocked hard. The humming from dragon and firelizard throats stepped up a notch.

Squaring his shoulders, Kaydin looked toward the egg with the runner's head on it. It wasn't yet rocking but the one right before him was.

Suddenly a crack appeared and a brown wingtip slipped out. With a thrust of the appendage the rest of the shell fell in shards around the hatchling's feet. A joyful cry from beside him let him know that this brown was taken. He watched as the tall boy stepped forward and impression was made.

"His name is Meath!"

Eggs were rocking all around Kaydin. Impressions were being made right and left. A small lull was filled when the glistening queen egg split and a hatchling bigger than all the rest stepped from the broken remains. She looked over each of the girls, apparently weighing them in her mind, before she called imperiously and one, a small dark haired girl walked forward and cupped her face.

"Tiaminth…her name is Tiaminth!"

Kaydin glanced around the sands, looking to see if any of the eggs were still in one piece. There were four, one of them being the one he had had his eye on.

Something was pressing at his mind and he looked to see what it might be. It was similar to the feeling he had when the green had thanked him. Before he could find the source a blue hatched near him. Pain roiled through the air toward him and he realized that the creature had his talons snagged in his wing. Without thought, Kaydin stepped forward and gently detangled the talon. He wondered if this was his dragon.

**No…there is yours…THIS one is mine!** The dragon, now set safely on his feet lunged toward one of the women who had been left standing near the queen. He butted her firmly in her backside. She turned and with a cry looked into his face. Impression, once again, was made.

**Here I am…K'din…here** The voice burst into his mind and the young man turned just in time to see the egg with the runner's head shatter. A bronze hatchling glistened there. He spread his wings and barked loudly.

**Don't you want to come close?**

"Yes, of course I do, Meertanth!" K'din, no longer Kaydin, strode quickly to stand before the sturdy bronze.

**It was kind of you to help my clutchmate…now I need to eat…**

K'din pressed his hands firmly along the bronze back of his dragon and scratched a small itch as directed.

Bithia was hovering, as the Queen had already left the sands with her new daughter.

**The little sister looks to you too?**

"Yes, she does." K'din could hear and feel the joy that Bithia was emanating. "She's happy that you are with us. As am I."

The Rider led his dragon to where food awaited them. Bithia keeping pace beside them as they left the sands.

**~!~!~!~**

**Nine Years Later...**

The last hatchling left the sands and Bronze Rider K'din watched as Basilissath's Rider, Tirzah, walked beside her Queen behind her hatchling daughter and her newly impressed Rider.

K'din drew in a deep breath as he realized that he had not taken one since he had first seen Tirzah standing beside her Queen when the hatching began. He hadn't met the young Queen Rider before this day. But when he caught sight of her, he felt like he had known her forever.

**I don't remember meeting her before, have we? **Meerthanth's mental voice was curious.

_No, dear heart, we haven't. I don't know what's happening._ Shaking his head to clear it he asked, _Are you happy on the rim?_

**Yes, the sun is warm and the others are pleased with the hatching. Many pairs found each other today.**

It was a happy occurrence when K'din realized that his transfer to the Weyr came on a hatching day. He had always enjoyed seeing the Candidates turn into Riders by impression. After the impressions were over there would be a feast with music and dancing afterwards.

Maybe he would be able to dance with the dark haired beauty that had stolen his breath away.


	2. Impressing Bithia

I've dreamed of my own dragon...and would accept a firelizard too!

This is how Kaydin (before he was K'din) came to impress his green firelizard.

Anne McCaffrey owns all things Pern...she is kind enough to let us play and I appreciate that!

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**Impressing Bithia**

"Well, Kaydin? Is he going to be okay?" Holder Seneca asked his third son about the injured runner that a Trader has asked their opinion of.

"Yes, sir, with a couple of months on a soft pasture I think that the bruise to his hoof wall should heal completely. That's the only injury that I can find." Kaydin set the hoof softly on the ground, patted the young runner and turned to stand with his father where he faced the Trader.

The Trader pursed his lips in thought. He weighed the costs of selling an injured runner against leaving it with the Holder until it was sound and then selling it. Making up his mind, he gestured to his wife. When she came to his side he asked her to retrieve the goods from under the seat of the wagon. She hurried to do his bidding, returning with an insulated basket in her arms.

"Holder, that runner has excellent bloodlines, but I can't get nearly his worth while he's limping. I've heard good things about your boy there, that he can help him get sound." Taking the basket from his wife he flipped the lid open and stirred the sand inside with his finger.

Those watching the proceedings started whispering when they saw the firelizard egg in the Trader's hand.

"There are three eggs left from this clutch, due to hatch in about three days. We are pretty sure that one of these is a queen egg. I'll leave them as payment for your tending the runner if you agree. We'll be back this way in about six seven-days and could pick him up then." He slipped the egg back into the sand and snapped the lid closed. "Would you make the deal?"

Now everyone watched Holder Seneca think the trade through. Finally, with a sharp nod of his head the deal was struck. The Trader and his wagons moved out, less the runner and a basket of three firelizard eggs.

The Hold was rife with rumors for the rest of the day. Who would be the lucky three to get the eggs? Harper Jahn had had a blue when he had been posted at the Hold. But he had moved on a couple of turns before and the new Harper hadn't been so blessed.

The basket of eggs was placed near the hearth and the Holder bade his wife to keep it safe and warm while he thought about the distribution. First he asked her if she'd like one for her own. She had laughed and said that she had more than enough young ones to care for with the twins and six boys!

Seneca had nodded and continued on about his business. All three of his youngest sons had come and pled their case, including the four year old. As Holder, he had listened intently and thanked them for their input.

During the dinner hour, there was much quiet discussion and many eyes strayed to the pot by the fire. As the meal drew to a close, Holder Seneca stood. Everyone quieted and waited for his decision.

"I've given this much thought and weighed my options. If, as the Trader suggested, one of these eggs is a Queen firelizard, we may be able to breed our own flight as the years go by. Of course, that is rather counting our lizards before they hatch!" The assembled people laughed at his wit, although many of them hoped it would come to pass that he was correct. Many of those assembled had dreamed of standing on the sands at a dragon hatching and barring that had wished for a firelizard of their own, to have a miniature dragon for their very own. All knew that the chances for either were small, but if one of these eggs did contain a Queen, their chances may have just improved.

Holder Seneca looked around the hall. Hopeful eyes were trained on him from all sides. His wife nodded her encouragement when his glance met hers. "Firelizards can be trained to be helpful; they aren't just pretties to decorate your shoulder. There are three of you who are out and about, doing the Hold's business at all hours of the day and night. Those three would benefit from having nearly instant communication with the Hold."

Kaydin could barely breathe as he realized that he and his older brothers were the three that were always out. He waited to actually hear the words before he allowed himself to even do more than hope.

"When the eggs hatch in two days, I'm going to let Martouf, Dramon and Kaydin impress them. They impress me, surely they'll impress a firelizard." Once again laughter and cheers met his words. There was hope, too, that at some point more eggs and offers of impressing said eggs would occur.

Holders quickly gathered around the three young men, slapping them on the back and wishing them good luck. Kaydin was finally able to draw in a deep breath now that he knew that he'd have a chance at impression. His brothers were already stating that each of them would be the possessor of the Queen. Kaydin didn't even care what color he impressed.

He had met several firelizards during the time that Harper Jahn had stayed with them. They had come bearing missives to the Harper. The Harper's blue had been steady and quiet. The golds that had visited had been bossy and had been known to peck an ear if they weren't heeded quickly. Kaydin had actually had a bronze sit on his shoulder once as he took the message from the small tube on his leg. The feeling of approval he had felt from the small creature was a joy that he held close. One brown had visited several times and he always zipped through the kitchens looking for a treat before he went between and back to his companion. Jokes always surrounded green firelizards. They were thought to be skittish and easily distracted. Kaydin thought they were appealing, so lithe and delicate. Surely there was room enough on Pern for something to just be pretty and not have to have a greater purpose. And the greens that he had seen were certainly lovely.

Time passed slowly, as it does when one is anxiously awaiting an event. The Trader had left explicit instructions on how the hatching day should proceed. Kaydin also remembered the story of Harper Jahn's impression of his blue. He and his brothers were gathered around the hearth, bowls of chopped meat on the table beside them. Holder Seneca and his wife were the only others there.

The three eggs were resting out of the basket on heaped piles of clean, warm sand as the three young men sat on their heels before them. There were several feet between them, giving them plenty—they hoped—room to make an impression.

Martouf, as the oldest, already had his eye on the largest egg, the one that shimmered slightly in the firelight. He had already decided that the Queen was for him. Dramon had chosen the second largest as his own, leaving the smallest egg for Kaydin.

This did not bother Kaydin in the slightest. He was thrilled to get the chance at having his own firelizard, it didn't really matter to him which color he got.

The three suddenly sat up straighter as the largest egg rocked. Kaydin felt anticipation surge through the room as the small egg before him shivered slightly as the little one inside tried to force its way out of the shell. His focus was completely on the egg in front of him. He barely glanced up as his eldest brother shouted "gold" and his other brother murmured "bronze"…

A small hole appeared on the remaining egg and a talon slipped through. The color was indistinct and Kaydin realized that it really didn't matter what color this little one turned out to be. It would be his companion and that's all that really counted. Taking up a handful of raw meat he waited for his new friend to emerge.

Another shudder of the egg and cracks appeared around the pip hole. He found himself urging the egg's inhabitant to hurry, to work harder to join him. Suddenly the pieces fell away and a dainty green firelizard stood on the sands. Her hide was the deep green of mature grass and she glistened with the remaining fluids from the egg. Hunger was flooding him as she caught his eye and he quickly popped a piece of the meat into her waiting mouth.

No real words came from her, but he knew that she wanted more and he placed another chunk into her gaping maw.

"Slowly, little one…there's plenty for you." His voice was a croon and she cocked her head to one side as she heard him for the first time. With an agility that startled him, the firelizard leaped onto his knee and fluttered her drying wings. The membranes were slightly lighter in color than her body and he admired her. Immediately he felt her joy at his perusal and she preened before stroking his cheek with her head. Slowly Kaydin lifted his hand and caressed her jaw. She pressed against his finger for a moment and then opened her mouth again. Her feelings of hunger were not quite as pronounced but she let him know that more food would be welcome.

"You are a little beauty, aren't you?" Kaydin smiled at the small creature on his lap and laughed quietly as he felt her enjoyment of his admiration.

Feeling someone near him, he looked up to see his father's wife kneeling beside him, a smile gracing her face. "She is lovely, Kaydin. What are you going to call her?"

"_That's right,"_ Kaydin thought, _"I get to name her!"_

Smiling as the young one chewed another small bite of meat, Kaydin pondered his answer. "Bithia…I'll call her Bithia."

Looking up Kaydin saw his father standing beside them now. "Bithia is a lovely name for this pretty girl, Kaydin. Well done."

Kaydin moved the now sated hatchling to the crook of his arm where she tucked herself into a tidy ball. A fluttery snore made the three of them chuckle. Looking over to his brothers he saw that their small companions were also sleeping. Awe was on both of their faces and he knew that his reflected the same.

"I'll go make the announcement that Hold has three new members." Kaydin watched his father open the doors and step out. The shouts of joy that came back through the door didn't bother his new companion in the slightest. Her hunger was gone for the moment and she was being held in love. It would take a lot more than noise to disturb her now.

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Thanks for reading...reviews are always lovely if you feel so inclined.

I have another dragon story...DRAGON STONES...it isn't based on Anne's Pern dragons...and it does have Twilight characters...but it stands on its own...you may like it...

http: /www. fanfiction. net/s/5287790/1/Dragon_Stones

Kathie


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